Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Sharks stars finally shine when it counts

Hockey has as many well-worn cliches as any other sport but they ring true.For example, big players play big in the playoffs. Last night, Joe Thornton sparked a Sharks' third-period comeback with a goal then Patrick Marleau scored the game-winner in overtime with a brilliant assist from Thornton. Those two players have been maligned in their careers for not producing in the clutch come Lord Stanley Cup's tournament yet they came up big last night.For all the times we have heaped criticism on them, now is a time to praise them for a change.

One sidelight on the Sharks' fans conspiring to throw the shark/octopus seafood platter on the ice during Game 2 on Sunday night: KNTV, the NBC affiliate in San Jose, assigned a reporter to do a follow-up on the story and he played the PETA card in his interview with one of the co-conspirators. C'mon. It was harmless fun. I think most people recognized and appreciated the spirit and intent of the prank. I suppose if there is a next time, the Sharks' fan ought to throw a leopard shark onto the ice wearing a fur coat.